


King and Lionheart

by misura



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Brothers, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-29 00:47:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6352201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You know," said Torgeir, watching Torveld watch Erasmus, who was shyly talking to another one of the palace slaves, "there's a story about a man who fell in love with a statue. It doesn't end well."</p>
            </blockquote>





	King and Lionheart

"You know," said Torgeir, watching Torveld watch Erasmus, who was shyly talking to another one of the palace slaves, "there's a story about a man who fell in love with a statue. It doesn't end well."

Torveld turned his head to look at his brother. "He's not a statue."

"No," Torgeir agreed. "And you're not the sculptor who created him. Use him, amuse yourself with him, but don't delude yourself into thinking that what exists between you is anything other than the relationship between owner and possession."

"I think that I've heard you talk about your wife in those exact terms. Some of your lovers, too, now that I come to think of it."

Any other man might have missed the brief twist of Torgeir's lips, or mistaken it for something other than amusement, acknowledgment of a point well-scored. "Queens have the right to be possessive of their kings every once in a while. Especially when they've just made a fool of themselves."

"That would be fairly often, then."

"I _am_ your king, you know," Torgeir said, scowling.

"You're not talking to me as my king right now," Torveld replied, glancing to make sure Erasmus was still where he had last seen him. "You're talking to me as a big brother who doesn't want his little brother to get hurt over a crush."

"Well. You were very sensible in your youth."

"You weren't. I figured that as long as I didn't do anything you would have done, I'd be fine."

Torgeir smirked briefly. "And now here you are, making moon-eyes at a slave."

"The statue in the story didn't get mistreated by the people who should have cared for it."

"Ah," said Torgeir. "This would be more like the story of the hero saving a beleaguered princess from some horrible monster intent on doing terrible things to her, then?"

"Actually, I was thinking of the one where the hero pulls a thorn out of a lion's paw, and the lion follows him home, and the two of them remain friends forever more."

Torgeir arched an eyebrow. "Are you telling me that story _isn't_ , in fact, suitable for children? Or was I just told the less interesting version?"

"You know what I mean."

Torgeir shook his head. "That he's not a statue, for all that he is as lovely as one, I'll grant you. But a lion? _Him_?"

"Every man has a lion inside of him. It's simply a matter of bringing it out."

Torgeir looked thoughtful. "And what do you think will bring out the lion in Laurent of Vere?"

"I have no idea," Torveld admitted. He had found Laurent charming, intelligent, and quite skilled at side-stepping topics he apparently preferred not to discuss with a Patran ambassador.

"Pity," said Torgeir. "And that one?" He inclined his head in the direction of Erasmus.

"I'm working on it."

"In other words: you're clueless, you have no idea what you are doing, and there is absolutely nothing useful you can tell me about the state of things in Vere that I didn't already know." Torgeir sighed. "Oh well. I suppose that if given the choice between my brother's happiness and solid, reliable intelligence regarding the future of Veretian foreign policy, I wouldn't have made the sensible choice anyway."

"Thank you. I think."

Torgeir grinned at him. "Just let me know when you've toughened him up enough for me to have a conversation with him in which I explain what will happen to him if he dares to break your heart."

"As always, you are expecting miracles."

"That's what brothers are for, Torveld," Torgeir said. "Well, and kings, too, I suppose."


End file.
